𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟮, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

The Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education, led by Hon. Jack Wamboka, has initiated investigations into the financial discrepancies at the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBA) and the Business Registration Services (BRS), following queries in the Auditor General's report for the Financial Years 2018/2019 and 2019/2020.

At KECOBA, audit queries have been asked with regards to a deficit of Kshs.22,034,340, which resulted in the depletion of accumulated reserves.

Executive Director, Mr. Edward Sigei attributed this deficit to expenses incurred from hosting continental meetings with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and implementing an approved salary structure. However, the Auditor General found discrepancies in the documentation provided and noted a recurring deficit in the subsequent financial year.

Furthermore, the Auditor General revealed operational irregularities at KECOBA, such as operating without a full Board of Directors for nine months and contravening State Corporation Governance Codes. The Committee questioned the efficacy of strategic decision-making in the absence of a full Board.

Similarly, the BRS faced questioning over unresolved queries highlighted in the Auditor General's report for the 2019/2020 financial year. Concerns were raised regarding the lack of a Disaster Recovery plan and IT Business Continuity Plan, posing a significant risk to operational resumption during emergencies, given the sensitive nature of company registration data.

In addition, auditors flagged out issues related to revenue collection through service providers, such as E-Citizen, Safaricom, and Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB). They noted the absence of contract agreements for audit review, hindering the assessment of legality and performance.

Members questioned BRS officials on the control mechanisms for citizen engagement and sought clarification on the entities behind E-Citizen. Additionally, unconfirmed short-term deposits were identified, with BRS failing to provide bank confirmation certificates for 17 accounts.